Untitled
by Ikaaro
Summary: A foreseen turn and crash!...reality strikes again fate declines him. What does one do when torn between each side of oneself?Is he a son or a demon?


Disclaimer: I don't own YYH.

Emerald eyes watched, stricken in horror, as they pulled the dark haired woman into the ambulance. He swallowed before pushing the crowd out of the way, followed closely by his three friends. He didn't bother to speak...he couldn't. So blind...

"I'm sorry but you can't enter here," one of the paramedics told them gruffly, blocking their path. Hiei's crimson eyes flashed and he drew his katana.

"You'll let us through. We're with the onna." He openly pointed the blade at him, cornering the on-call doctor. "Go, Kurama."

Number one tantei Yusuke Urameshi nodded, cracking his knuckles angrily. "Yeah man, we'll take care of these guys. Right Kuwabara?"

The carrot top agreed, pale blue eyes also narrowed to a glare. "Yeah...she needs you just as much as she needs the paramedics."

Shuuichi looked at them blankly, before uncharacteristically stumbling toward the ambulance that was attending to his mother. "Shuuichi..." she called weakly. Unable to see him, but her maternal bond alerted her of his presence. He held her cold, bloody hand tightly.

"I'm here Mother, please..." He rapidly blinked away tears. Demons didn't cry.

She turned her head, sluggishly, toward him. "I'm so glad you're all right..." She winced openly as the two women in the vehicle began to hook her up to monitering machines. "Your step-brother and step-father...?" He could see it was paining her to speak.

"They're fine, mother...stop talking if it hurts," he whispered to her, feeling his blood run cold when he heard the heart moniter. No, he had to be strong for her...to pull her through. She fell into unconsciousness moments later, as they shut the doors and began to race toward the hospital. Kurama's green eyes dulled as the doctors poured pain relievers and liquids into her body. He did not let go of her hand, despite his zoned out appearance. He seemed lost, those usually mysterious orbs snatched of all life, secret, and emotion. He was but an empty shell.

Thus he remained as they were guided to the ER operating room, and to the ICU. In this state, even the lowest of youkai could easily kill him. Kurama completely ignored his step-family as they came to see her as well. He had yet to let go of her...he wouldn't. Nothing would allow him. Even in her state of unknown, she was still there. Faint, like a whisper in the storm, but still there. Head bowed, his long scarlet hair hid his face and whatever he chose to display. Slouching in the stiff metal chair, he did not move. Wherever she was, he would follow. He may as well be dead.

Outside, for a few minutes, stood Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei. Hiei had his back turned from the window, leaving against the wall. He kept his eyes trained to the floor, saying nothing, not even bothering to glare when Shuichi, Kurama's younger brother, stumbled into him. Yusuke's fingers were pressed to the glass, leaving thick prints. He felt a wrenching sensation in his stomach from watching. In time he too turned away. It made him sick to see that scene.

By then Kuwabara had long since set his jaw and sat down in one of now comforting chairs outside the room. "Man...I'm gettin' that weird feeling again. I can't shake it." He shuddered, and Yusuke looked over, brown eyes refusing to accept it. Kuwabara had an excellent spiritual awareness, now at the age of twenty-three. In fact they were almost premonitions.

The tantei shook his head furiously, causing his soaked hair to spray anyone nearby. "No, that's not it Kuwabara. It...it must be about the demons we were looking for!" He spoke loudly, proudly, with the same bold emotionless confidence as always. And even then even he could see through himself.

"Detective."

Even as Hiei spoke to Yusuke, he did not move his gaze from the spot on the floor. "Yeah?" Yusuke's voice sounded as if it would shatter.

"Hn, go call Koenma. Tell him to send someone else after this demon. We aren't working without Kurama, and you'd best make that clear to him. Have him know I'll kill every other human in this facility if he does not comply." The gruff fire demon was no different. His serious, sarcastic tone was a small comfort.

Hesitating at first, Yusuke nodded, then left to find a place where he could use the communicator in peace.

"Baka."

"Hm?" Kuwabara did not find this a good time to remind Hiei of his name.

"You're going to find his family, keep them busy so that they leave Kurama alone. They know you by now."

Something told Kuwabara that it was best for everyone's sake that he complied. He nodded and stood up. Before walking away, however, he gave the smaller demon an empathetic glance. "We both know it now...do what you can." Kuwabara pushed his hands into his pants pockets and began to look for Shuichi and Hatanaka.

"Hn." Hiei reached behind his head and removed the bandana. With his eyes trained to the floor no one would see the jagan. Slowly, he began to enslave as many as he could on that floor, and warded them away. The staff was no help now. And the fire demon was never wrong. For the next two hours, the nurses did not check in on Shiori Minamino. She did not change in pace, still asleep.

Within the four walls of the small room Kurama seemed to breathe once more. His eyes widened in both fear, and happiness, when Shiori once more called his name.

"I haven't left, mother." Still so blind...the rain pelting the outside window was dull. Background noise.

"Shuuichi...I need to ask you something." Although he was not focussed on it, she heard the moniter slowing down. She felt it in her bones - the ones that had not been shattered in the car crash her son had been forced to witness. Shiori Minamino was a smart woman whose love for her family never, not once, faltered no matter her situation.

"Mother?" He didn't understand, she was fine! She should be resting! That way she could get better...

If she was able she would have removed the oxygen mask to speak more clearly. Kurama would never have let her; he could understand her perfectly fine. Taking in a shaky breath from the machine that had been breathing for her, she smiled.

"Shuuichi, take care of your brother...your step father..." She struggled to keep her eyes on him but against her will they closed in resignation. "...I love you."

Beep-------Beep------------Beep-----------------Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.

The impenetratable Youko Kurama broke down as the moniter flatlined. His shoulders shook as he fell upon her, forehead resting on the his arm at the edge of the small hospital cot. Those shields had all shattered there. He wasn't a demon there... he was simply a man who lost the most important person in his life. No matter what he tried there was still a lump in his throat, the tears did not stop as the monotonious sound held him harshly to reality.

"No...damn it all...Mother...!" Although the door was closed, they heard it. Everyone heard his strangled cry.

Outside Hiei flinched, but kept his hold on all of the nurses but one. He allowed her through to shut off the machines and to remove the various needles and equipment from Shiori. Kurama made no note of her, falling into the chasm of pain and guilt.

Picking up his katana, Hiei relinquished control over all of the humans and entered the room. He locked the door behind him. Setting his sword and bandana down gently, he made his way to Kurama.

Eyes downcast, he looked away. "I'm sorry."

No response. Two words Hiei would never say, even to his sister. But Kurama deserved that, had the right to much more. The jagan had an odd ability of clairvoyance. It foretold something that couldn't be changed. The scene of seconds before...was what it had been... the nurse blankly set away the things and left Kurama to grieve.

"Onna."

The nurse looked back at Hiei before leaving.

"Do not let in her husband, or step-son, inside, until he," Hiei motioned toward Kurama, "is ready to leave. Do inform them and offer your condolences."

She nodded meekly before walking off, closing the door behind her. The fire demon stepped cautiously toward Kurama, then placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't blame yourself, Kurama. She wouldn't wish it."

He was still silently sobbing against the white sheets. "I...I know..." He swallowed after a moment, trying to compose himself. "How could I not even consider that...her death would not be in the event of an attack from my enemies, but...but a human means..."

Hiei's thumb moved in small circles on Kurama's shoulder, comforting. "There was nothing you could do to stop it. There was nothing even I could do and I sensed this long before Kuwabara."

"I should have protected her," he whispered. "Use my plants from Makai...anything...I could have prevented this..." he whispered, clutching the sheets. Once again he began to shake. "This could have been avoided entirely."

"Kurama!" Hiei's voice had turned cold and sharp, almost condescending. "I foresaw this yesterday! You know as well as I do that anything my Jagan predicts cannot, and will not, be changed! You underestimate your mother...do you honestly think that she wants you to be unhappy because she is not here to hold you? To comfort you? You should be thinking of her and not yourself!"

Kurama stopped moving. In fact, even for a moment he stopped breathing. "You...saw this last night?"

Hiei did not take a step back nor did he remove his hand from Kurama's shoulder. "I did."

"And as always...you're absolutely correct."

Hiei moved his hand from the shoulder closest to him, around Kurama's waist. "Of course...your step-family is outside. Let us leave this place; it smells of disaster. Allow them their own time to grieve. I'm here for you."

"I don't want to leave," he mumbled with the stubborness of a child. Absently he brushed a stray strand of dark hair from her face, almost angelic-looking in the sudden darkness of the room. "Not yet..."

Hiei sighed to himself...of course Kurama didn't want to leave. The bond with his mother...had been...different from their own to say the least.

"I never told her the truth," he added after a moment. "About my being a demon..."

Shaking his head, Hiei returned to the small comforting ministrations. "I think she'd be the kind of onna that would understand and accept that and the reasons behind it. In fact I'm quite sure she respects you no matter what you are. You are her son and no demonic heritage could change that fact."

Kurama sat up, wiping his eyes with the edge of his sleeve. In fact...even that small, ghostly smile could be seen on his lips. "Thank you...but...I'd like to be alone."

Hiei nodded, letting go. "Fair enough. I'll be waiting outside." He tied the bandana around his head and picked up his katana before walking outside. Closing the door, he didn't need to speak to the people outside to make them aware of the circumstance. Yusuke sat there with his head bent over, obviously trying to hide his own tears. Kuwabara was less defensive about what people thought of his own display of feelings, but attempted to take it like the grown man he was. Hiei returned to his slouching against the wall, arms folded and eyes down.

Several minutes later Kurama walked out quietly with a serene expression. "I'm staying with a friend tonight," he informed his step father before walking away. Hiei stood straight and followed him. Once they had turned the corner Yusuke took a deep breath.

"Lets go Kuwabara. I hate this place." Without anymore explanation the street punk put on his jacket and left opposite the direction the couple had. Kuwabara nodded and followed him wordlessly.

"So?" Hiei asked Kurama quietly as they walked out of the city, toward the small haven Hiei lived in.

"Mmhmm..." The rain seemed not to bother either of them. Kurama pursed his lips. "I can only do what she asked of me...and hope that one day I'll have redeemed myself to be with her when I finally accept death."

"I wouldn't worry about that."

Kurama looked down at him as they sat on the couch in Hiei's small living quarters.

Hiei smirked, mysteriously. "You'll know when the time comes. I am never wrong."

Looking away, Kurama's fingers laced with his. "...I can only hope..." And as he glanced out the window to force away the tears the threatened to spill again, his eyes narrowed in confusion.  
For a fleeting moment, staring at the sakura tree outside, he almost felt as if...

End. 


End file.
